Marking plate



Aug. 23, 1938 J. R. WILLARD 2,127,576

MARKING PLATE Fiied April 2 4. 195s STATE m HF" INVENTOR. JOHN R. WILLARD. BY

A ORNEY.

Patented ug. 23, 1938 MARKING PLATE John R. Willard, New Kensington, Pa assignmto Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 24,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in marking plates and like indicia, and particularly to automobile registration plates of the so-called permanent type.

This type of registration plate is coming into general use and is usually characterized by having a permanent portion indicating the registration number and'a replaceable portion for indicating the year for which its use is authorized by payment of an annular registration fee.

It is an object of the present invention to pro-' vide a registration plate of this type that is readily and economically fabricated and is also resistant to the ordinary wear and abuse to which such plates are subjected. A further object is a provision of a replaceable portion that may be readily attached to the plate proper, but which can not be removed without rendering it unfit for further use. Other objects will be apparent from,

the following specification and drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a registration plate constructed according to my invention having a part of the replaceable portion broken away;

Fig. 2 shows a section taken along the lines 11-11 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows to a large scale an elevation of the replaceable portion; and

Fig. 4 shows the replaceable portion in plan.

Referring to the drawing, the referencenumeral I indicates the main portion of the registration plate having appliedthereto the registration number and the name of the State issuing the registration. In the form illustrated, two elongated apertures or perforations 2 are provided below the registration-number.

The replaceable portion 3 indicating the year for which the registration is authorized is provided with two lugs 4 adapted to fit in the holes 2 in the plate. Notches 5 are provided at the Junction of the lugs with the main body of the replaceable portion to facilitate bending.

For attachment to the plate proper the lugs are bent through an angle of approximately 90 and inserted in the openings 2 in the plate. After insertion the lugs are bent down flat as shown in Fig. 2. It is apparent that 'any number of such lugs can be provided on the replaceable portion of the plate and a corresponding numberof apertures provided in the plate proper.

The main body of the plate may be made of any suitable material, but because of its permanent character is preferably made of amaterial which is substantially resistant to corrosive attack, such as some of the alloys of aluminum. The replaceable portion, however, should be made of a material which is easily broken upon reverse bending, so that any attempt to remove the replaceable portion after it is once fixed to the plate proper will cause the lugs to break-off.

I have round that an alloy of aluminum ooh- 1936, Serial No. 26,229

taining approximately 1.25 per cent of manganese and the balance substantially pure aluminum when subjected to a certain amount of working in the cold state to be particularly susceptible to failure when subjected to reverse bending. -As the replaceable portion of a license plate is more conveniently made from rolled sheet metal, I have elected to designate the amount of cold working in the manner customarily used in sheet metal production, though its equivalent may be eifected by other cold working processes.

I prefer to form a replaceable portion from sheet aluminum alloy of the above composition which has been subjected to a gauge reduction. equal in amount to approximately the 8 Brown and Sharpe gauge numbers preceding the final gauge after the final annealing operation. If, for example, it is desired to make the replaceable portion of material having a thickness equalto No. 20 Brown and Sharpe gauge (0.032"), the;

aluminum alloy is first rolled to a thickness equal to No. 12 Brown and Sharpe gauge (0.0808") and annealed at from 750 to 800 Fahrenheit, and subsequently rolled to the final thickness.

The susceptibility of the material to failure upon reverse bending is greatly augmented by providing sharply inclined notches along the line of bending. Material as above described 0.032" thick having notches about 0.010" deep at the juncture of the lugs and bent as shown invariably failed when an attempt was made to straighten the lugs to aposition which would permit their removal from the slots.

What I claim is:

1. In a marking plate of the described type, a replaceable portion of an aluminum alloy containing 1.25 per cent manganese, balance aluminum, and possessing the characteristics of an alloy of this composition which has been sulficiently cold worked subsequent to final annealing that it is susceptible to failure upon reverse bending, said portion being provided with a plurality of lugs adapted for insertion in apertures provided in the permanent portion of the plate, and adapted to be bent into clamping relationship therewith.

2. In a marking plate of the described type, a replaceable portion of an aluminum alloy containing 1.25 per cent manganese, balance aluminum, and possessing the characteristics of an alloy of this composition which has been subjected to cold working subsequent to final annealing in an amount equivalent to a gauge reduction of 8 Brown and Sharpe gauge numbers, said portion being provided with a plurality of lugs adapted for insertion in apertures provided in the permanent portion of the plate. and adapted to be bent into clamping relationship therewith.

JOHN R. wnnmo. 

